Dutch holidays 2020 & 2021

Dutch holidays 2020 & 2021

Dutch holidays are regulated in collective agreements (CAO) and labour agreements so check your employer’s CAO or labour agreement to see what holidays are considered to be free days. If you work on a public holiday, you are (often) entitled to extra pay. Finally, as an employee, you are also entitled to holiday leave.

Types of Dutch holidays

Holidays in the Netherlands can be divided into three categories:

Dutch national holidays

There are two national holidays in the Netherlands: King’s Day (Koningsdag) and Liberation Day (Bevrijdingsdag).

Dutch public holidays

The commonly recognised public holidays in the Netherlands are the Dutch national holidays, New Year’s Day, and a few Christian holidays.

Other holidays in the Netherlands

Additionally, the Netherlands also has a number of holidays that are not legally recognised (e.g. Sinterklaas).

School holidays in the Netherlands

In the Netherlands, there is a school-free period of six weeks in the summer (zomervakantie) and two in the winter (kerstvakantie). In addition, schools also schedule holidays in: